1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed towards an improved cargo seal which is structured to be utilized on a cargo container in order to maintain the cargo container's doors securely locked in a closed orientation, preventing opening thereof without destructively removing the cargo seal and door lock in a manner which clearly indicates tampering has occurred, even if the lock is replaced, thereby substantially protecting the contents of the cargo container, while also substantially identifying when tampering has occurred.
2. Description of the Related Art
Large, cargo containers, such as those that are detachable or are formed as part of trailers are the most commonly used means of transporting large volumes of many varying cargos from location to location around the world. A primary advantage to their use is that the large containers can store large quantities of goods and can be effectively transported on boats, trains, and/or trucks in order to expeditiously arrive at their eventual destination. The detachability and adaptability of containers is of particular importance because the containers will often change hands from one carrier to another carrier, such as from a train to a truck or from a trucking company to a steamship line, during the various legs of a transport route.
Naturally, due to the great volume and often valuable nature of the cargos being transported in the large containers, security is an important consideration when dealing with cargo transportation. Unfortunately, however, one of the most prevalent security concerns, in addition to the third party hijackers or thieves who do not generally care if they leave signs of a break in, involves internal not obviously detectable theft. For example, it is sometimes an all too common occurrence that during transit, an individual placed in custody of the container, such as a truck driver in charge of transporting the cargo from point to point, is behind a robbery. Such an individual is naturally very familiar with the nature of the cargo on board, and can easily arrange for a safe rendezvous for the removal of all or part of the cargo contained within the large container. Unlikely as it may seem, in these instances, it is often the security measures and/or locks which are normally employed that serve as the biggest ally to the thieves.
A conventional, single-use, single end seal is the common article used to secure the door handle/latch in a door closing orientation. Nevertheless, thieves have still found ways to unlatch the doors without actually braking the seal. Specifically, the joint between the actuation handle and the lock rod on most conventional containers generally incorporates a single bolt securing both elements with one another. As a result, a thief can merely cut or drill out and remove that bolt to permit the independent turning of the lock rod while the actuation handle remains in place, thereby opening the container without having to move the actuation handle or break the seal. Once the cargo has been removed and the door is re-closed, a replacement bolt is merely inserted to connect the actuation handle with the lock rod, and can be painted over if necessary to preserve the original appearance. As a result, the conventional type identifying seal has never been removed and no evidence of tampering is available as the cargo changes hands from one carrier to another. Accordingly, when the specific carrier involved in the theft arrives at a next leg of the transport, the container looks normal and intact, and the responsibility is passed on to the next transport carrier. Naturally, when the theft is ultimately discovered blame passes from carrier to carrier with no concrete resolution as to the true thieves or the actual stage of transport during which the theft occurred. Moreover, as no positive blame can be put on any particular carrier, it is often the owner of the cargo who must take the loss and must fight their insurance company for some recovery.
Despite the numerous techniques thieves have found to defeat existing systems, and because of the high volume of cargo being transported on a daily basis, and the cost of more extensive security measures, most carriers still utilize the above-described securing methods to seal the cargo doors. Such carriers accept a certain percentage of losses to theft as an expense of doing business given the lack of a viable alternative. Accordingly, it would be highly beneficial to provide a cargo container seal and door lock which can defeat or at least significantly hinder the "inside job" theft in a cost effective and easy to implement fashion. Such an improved seal should be structured so as to resist opening of the doors without its removal, and should be difficult to replace without providing substantially clear and noticeable evidence of tampering, thereby allowing the identification of a theft by a transport company when they take on the cargo.
For these reasons, some shippers have turned to utilizing single use locking brackets which employ common single use, single end seals which bear a particular, recorded serial number thereon if added security is desired. Accordingly, when the cargo container changes hands from one carrier to another the lock is inspected and the numerals on the seal(s) are recorded to ensure that they match the shipping records. Still, however, while such techniques are more effective than the security measures which had previously been available, clever thieves have quickly found ways around those procedures as well.
Specifically, because a thief associated with a transport attendant may have extended time and can choose a location for a theft to occur, techniques not usually available to the common thief can be employed. In particular, a thief, usually equipped with a blowtorch, will first cut the bracket between the two doors at a central point thereof, thereby permitting the free movement of the doors relative to one another. If an independent bracket seal is used to keep the bracket secured in place, such cutting of the bracket does not remove or damage the seal which keeps the bracket in place, and accordingly, when the theft is completed, the thieves can merely weld the two sections of the bracket back together. Further, a rapid coat of silver paint is usually sufficient to match the normal zinc coated finish of the bracket and completely mask that the bracket has been removed. Alternatively, if as in most instances the bracket is merely locked or welded in place, a new bracket can be replaced on the closed doors as it is only the bracket which restricted opening of the container.
As such, it would be beneficial to provide an improved seal that is structured to require its actual removal in order to access the container. Such a seal, which prior to the present invention has not been provided, should be structured to be permanently and noticeably damaged if broken and/or removed, and should be difficult to duplicate easily and effectively.
Specifically, existing cargo seals only include a single lock head bearing a serial number and providing for independent attachment. Such seals require a thief to duplicate a single serial number on the spot, and are structured only to seal a single door latch such that removal of a bolt from the closure assembly and actuation of the door without removal of the seal can be easily achieved. Indeed, conventional seals are structured only to maintain the latch closed and not to actually maintain the door closed. Moreover, if an improved tamper evident container door lock that shrouds the joints of the closure assembly and secures both doors in a closed orientation is utilized, existing seal configurations are not structured to sufficiently enhance the closure array.